


Something in the Water

by misura



Category: Priest (2011)
Genre: Drinking, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25464667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: "Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, huh?" Black Hat says, opening the bottle. "A vampire and a priest sit down for a drink."
Relationships: Black Hat/Priest (Priest 2011)
Kudos: 10
Collections: Small Fandoms Fest





	Something in the Water

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: _Black Hat/Priest, On their first vampire slaying mission in the desert, Priest and Black Hat try the 'Cactus Water' the locals drink_ (pooka_07)

Black Hat brings back some of the local moonshine on a supply run.

"Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, huh?" Black Hat says, opening the bottle. "A vampire and a priest sit down for a drink."

They've been on the road for two weeks. Priest is waiting for the day when Black Hat will tell him he needs to feed, that to keep something like Black Hat up and about and in fighting shape requires something more than mere faith.

"Never heard a lot of jokes about either vampires or priests," Priest says. He can't imagine the Church putting up with that sort of thing. "I'll admit it does take me back, though."

"Doesn't it just." Black Hat takes a swig and grimaces. "Tastes like a grave."

 _Well, close enough,_ Priest thinks, accepting the bottle to take his own turn, allowing himself to remember another night, another bottle. The same company.

*

Their first time outside, and it turns out that years and years of training isn't going to stop people from being people. Priest (though he isn't Priest back then; he's _a_ priest, but not yet Priest, not yet the last one there will ever be) has been put in charge -

"Provisionally," Black Hat says. (He's not yet called Black Hat, either. Priest doesn't know where the hat came from, if it's a reminder of Black Hat's old life, or just a prop.) "They put you in charge _provisionally_." He makes it sound like a joke.

Priest sometimes feels it is one. "We shouldn't be here."

'Here' is the village that's been terrorized by vampires these past weeks. Priest hasn't been told why they've been sent to this village, instead of any other place. It reminds him of the home he left behind, a little.

The people are different, of course. The people, and the way they look at him and Black Hat.

Black Hat grunts. "Bunch of ingrates."

"They're frightened," Priest says.

"They should be," Black Hat says. "Of the vampires. Not of us. I mean, look at them. Do these look like the sort of people you'd want to die for? Really?"

"You were the one who wanted to come here. 'Let's introduce ourselves', you said." It sounded like a good enough idea to Priest. He catches himself having trouble sometimes remembering a time before he was a priest, a time when he had friends, a wife - _a daughter_.

"I meant, let's go for a drink," Black Hat says.

Priest points to a building with a sign shaped like a cactus out front. "Looks like you're in luck."

The Church sees no reason to provide its chosen warriors with money, which makes things a little awkward for a bit, until one of the locals declares he'll buy them a bottle of 'cactus'.

From the man's state of drunkenness and the guffaws of his friends, Priest gathers this should be viewed more in the light of a challenge than an act of generosity. Still, beggars can't be choosers.

Black Hat pours some of the liquid into one of the two small glasses the barkeep has provided.

"Probably should let me go first. You know, just in case it's poisoned."

"You suspect a trap?" Priest asks, tensing. It hasn't occurred to him that there might be more to this village than meets the eye. He looks around the room again, searching for anything suspicious. "None of these people look like familiars."

"Relax, will you?" Black Hat says. "See? This is why I wanted you to come. You need to relax. You know, there's more to life than fighting vampires."

"Not for us."

"Of course for us. What else are we fighting this war for?" Black Hat knocks back his drink and starts coughing. "God, that's vile."

"I think perhaps we should go." Priest is willing to call the outing a loss. There will be other outings, other villages. The program is still new; once they have proven themselves, people may become more welcoming, more accepting.

Humans have always been wary of strangers in these lands. It's only in the Cities that there are crowds, too many people to get to know them all. In a place like this, he should have known better than to expect a warm welcome.

"Don't talk rubbish, we just got here. Besides, bottle's still more than three-quarters full," Black Hat says, already refilling his glass.

"I thought you said you didn't like it."

"I said it tasted vile," Black Hat says. "Not the same thing. Here, try some. Might loosen you up."

Priest takes a wary sip. If anything, 'vile' is an understatement.

"Told you," Black Hat says, grinning.

Priest doesn't know how they end up finishing the whole bottle. Sheer stubbornness at first, then at some point, they stop noticing the taste. He remembers Black Hat's grin getting wider and wider, but little else.

He remembers feeling _human_. He might have thought about his wife at some point, or talked about her, and Black Hat may have mentioned someone as well - someone he might have grown closer to, if.

They are here, though; they have duties and responsibilities and _gifts_. They are all that stands between humanity and extinction.

"In which case, God help humanity," Black Hat says.

They have left the saloon by now. Priest gathers being able to walk after a bottle of cactus is considered something of a miracle in and of itself. It pleases him to think that in this small way, they may have planted a seed of hope here tonight, a glimmer of faith.

"You sound as if you lack faith," Priest says. He knows Black Hat is as devout as the rest of them.

"Not in you and me, or any of the others, but come on," Black Hat says. "There's, what, a hundred of us? Against how many vampires?"

"God is with us."

"God might want to have a word with His church," Black Hat says. "Tell them to be a little more realistic."

Priest sighs. "You shouldn't talk like that." To doubt the Church is to doubt God. To serve the Church is to serve God. To sacrifice his life, everything he has ever known and loved is God's will. If it hurts, if he sometimes wishes it were different, that only means that his faith is weak, that _he_ is weak.

"Maybe not." Black Hat shrugs. "Blame it on the alcohol."

"We're going to have the mother of all hang-overs in the morning, aren't we?" Priest knows that they're not supposed to do any fighting tomorrow - just get a feel for the terrain, map the area.

"Worth it, to see you let your guard down and relax for a bit," Black Hat says.

There's something in his tone that makes Priest stop walking to look at him.

"What?" Black Hat stops as well and stares at him.

"I - " _I have a wife,_ Priest wants to say, but he knows that's no longer true. He has neither wife, nor daughter. No family other than his brothers and sisters of the Church.

 _I am unworthy._ That one feels truer. _I cannot return your feelings at this point in time._

"You're not about to fall over, are you? At least try to wait until we're out of sight," Black Hat says.

 _Thank you._ Priest shakes his head and resumes walking.

Black Hat follows.

*

And now here they are, years later.

"Do you think we stand a chance?" Priest asks. He hasn't asked before, hasn't questioned Black Hat's willingness to accompany him, come what may.

"None whatsoever," Black Hat says.

"So why - " Priest starts, before he stops. _So why are you here?_

Black Hat looks at him and bares his teeth. "You know why. You're mine, Priest."

Priest takes another swig and looks away. "I suppose there's worse things to be."

"Thanks." Black Hat snatches back the bottle. "You're too kind."

 _You're everything I was taught to hate and destroy._ Priest shakes his head. The world has changed a lot since the wars, since his training. "Let's go to bed."

He doesn't wait for a response before heading for the tent.

Now, as then, he knows Black Hat will follow.

Now, unlike then, he knows what to do next.


End file.
